Batgirl
Background The Early Years - Barbara was born in Ohio to Roger and Thelma Gordon. From a young age, she had stars in her eyes and dreamed of being a super hero. Sleepovers with her friends became dress-up parties and hours spent thinking up hero identities and costumes. It also helped her ignore the fact that Roger was a raging alcoholic and most of her childhood was actually unhappy. After losing her parents to a drunken car accident at age 11, she was adopted by Roger's brother Jim and his wife, and started a new life in Gotham. Over the next several years, Barbara would blossom into a bright and skilled young woman, active in gymnastics and martial arts... especially after overhearing her father deep in conversation with Batman, the object of her already youthful hero worship. Batgirl Begins - Her early graduation of both high school and college didn’t leave Barbara much time to make friends, nor did her secret ambition to train and join law enforcement. To supplement her income, she took a job as a librarian at the Gotham Public Library but when she attempted to enroll with the Police Academy as well as the FBI as a field agent, she was gently teased for not meeting the height requirement. But Barbara recognized it for what it was - she was a girl, and the police Commissioner's daughter - so she changed her tactic. She'd fight crime on her own terms and donned her first costume, one styled closed after Batman's own and went out night after night, looking for trouble and trying to put a stop to it. Finally - One thing led to another and over the next several weeks, she not only became addicted to the adrenaline but she drew the Dark Knight’s attention. It was even rumored that he attempted to put a stop to her antics but Fate had her way and Batgirl was sworn into the Bat-family. In the many months that followed, it could only be described as many wild and crazy adventures. Between the Bat-family and the Birds of Prey, juggling her job and keeping her costume a secret from her father, Barbara's a busy girl and loving every minute. Personality General - As Barbara, she is often seen as demure and girl-next-door while her Batgirl persona is quite the opposite. She's fiery and passionate about everything in her life whether it's books, bikes, or beating down bad guys but for some reason feels the need to hide most of this behind a mask... Compassionate - She is a kind, tender, feeling and sympathetic woman. She understands the suffering of others and it compells her to find a way to fix it without asking anything in return. This is part of what keeps Batgirl able to hold the "no kill" code, but it's also what crushes her when she's unable to help someone she feels deserving of it. Dedicated - She is committed to keeping Gotham a safe place to raise a family, and dedicated to the citizens to prevent the wanton destruction of their lives and homes. When Barbara or Batgirl puts her mind to something, there's little chance that she'll give up on the idea. This is where dedicated borders on stubborn. She also makes a very loyal friend and confidante. Idealist - Much of the time, her actions conflict with what most would consider "practical". Maybe her decisions seem a little unrealistic sometimes but she's a romantic and a dreamer; this woman wants to believe in the impossible. "An idealist is one who, on noticing that roses smell better than a cabbage, concludes that it will also make better soup." Category:Hero Category:Characters Category:Features Category:Available